Sweet pea cultivars from Easton Walled Garden in Lincolnshire, plus growing tips and where to buy the best selection of sweet pea seeds. Words\u00a0Ursula Cholmeley, photos\u00a0Andrew Montgomery <\/p>

When to sow sweet peas<\/h2>\n
Sweet peas<\/a> germinate, grow, flower, set seed and die in one annual cycle. At Easton, we harvest and dry the seed in late August<\/a>, and sow the first batch into root trainers in October in an unheated glasshouse<\/a>. The last warm rays of autumn will give them the kick they need\u00a0to germinate.<\/p>\n
Once the seedlings appear we keep them as cold as possible, leaving them outside and only bringing them in during a hoar frost. This gives the plants time to produce long, strong roots. Big roots are the key to a fine sweet pea crop.<\/p>\n
We prepare beds with lots of manure; we find that green manure sown in September is the best soil conditioner for our young plants before they are planted out in early March<\/a>.\u00a0Green manure prevents nutrients leaching out of the\u00a0top layers of soil and gives our plants a head start.<\/p>\n
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Easton Walled Gardens is a 12-acre garden in a quiet part of Lincolnshire. It\u2019s been maintained by the Cholmeley family and their gardeners for at least 400 years. More recently, the family discovered that sweet peas grow very well in the garden and they now grow more than 100 cultivars for display and cutting and they harvest the seed to sell. Below you\u2019ll find a selection of sweet peas from the gardens, plus growing tips and advice on where to buy them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Cool colours<\/h3>\n
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(From left to right) 1<\/strong>\u00a0Lathyrus odoratus<\/em>\u00a0\u2018Albutt Blue\u2019,\u00a02<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Astronaut Lavender\u2019,\u00a03<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Daphne\u2019,\u00a04<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Dignity\u2019,\u00a05\u00a0<\/strong>L<\/em>. x\u00a0hammettii<\/em>\u00a0\u2018Erewhon\u2019,\u00a06<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Katie Alice\u2019,\u00a07<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018King Sized Navy Blue\u2019<\/p>\n
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Fancy frills<\/h3>\n
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(From left to right) 1<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Frances Kate\u2019,\u00a02<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Pulsar\u2019,\u00a03<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Comet\u2019,\u00a04<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Twinkle\u2019,\u00a05<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Linda Carole\u2019,\u00a06<\/strong>\u00a0L<\/em>. \u2018Wiltshire Ripple\u2019<\/p>\n
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Where to buy<\/h3>\nEagle Sweet Peas<\/strong>,\u00a0Eagle Sweet Peas, Broadmoor Lane, Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffordshire ST18 0LD.\nTel 01889 270215,\u00a0eaglesweetpeas.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n
Easton Walled Gardens<\/strong>,\u00a0Easton, Grantham,\u00a0Lincolnshire NG33 5AP.\nTel 01476 530063,\u00a0visiteaston.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n
Keith Hammett<\/strong>\nTel +64 9 833 9453,\u00a0drkeithhammett.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n
Kerton Sweet Peas<\/strong>,\u00a0North Farm Cottage, 14 Bristol Road, Pawlett, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RT.\nTel 01278 683517,\u00a0kertonsweetpeas.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n
Roger Parsons Sweet Peas<\/strong>,\u00a0Primrose Cottage, Clayton Lane, Bracklesham Bay, Chichester PO20 8JQ.\nTel 01243 673770,\u00a0rpsweetpeas.com<\/a><\/p>\n
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